Overfeed device for clip-tentering machines



Oct. 16, 1956 J. DUNGLER ovEREEED DEVICE FOR CLIP-TENTEEING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 20. 1951 Nvu/Toll JULIEN '.DUNGLER- e1 Oct. 16, 1956 J. DUNGLER ovEREEEn DEVICE FOR CLIP-TENTEEING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 20. 1951 IVENTOR: JuLlEN EUA/G LER BY,

/WME

oct. 16, 1956 J. DUNGLER 2,766,503

OVERFEED DEVICE FOR CLIP-TENTERING MACHINES Filed sept. 20, 1951 e sheets-sheet 3 47 24 35 48a, 47 I/ U5@ y Iwan/Tok- .Iuuew .DUNGLER Oct, 16, 1956 J. DUNGLER lOVERF'EED DEVICE FOR CLIP-TENTERING MACHINS 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 20, 1951 lu'veNfoR-- .lumen '.DUNGLER f/ J. DUNGLER OVERFEED DEVICE FOR CLIP-TENTERING MACHINES Oct. 16, 1956 e she'ets-sheet 5 Filed Sept. 20, 19.51

2m L m6 N N EU MD N E BY MMM Oct. 16. 1956 J. DUNGLER OVERFEED DEVICE FOR CLIP-TENTERING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Sept. 2Q, 1951 United States Patent O OVERFEED DEVTCE FOR CLIP-TENTERING MACHINES Julien Dungler, Basel, Switzerland Application September 20, 195|1, SerialNo. 247,515- Claims priority, application France September 25, 1950 19 Claims. (Cl. 26-5-7) The present invention deals with improvements in tentering machines.

This invention relates more particularly to a device intended to effect overfeed of the material with respect to the clips of tentering machines, so as to introduce the fabric or similar lengthy material into the clips with a certain advance or overfeed which enables the fabric to form cross or transverse pleats on its being gripped in the clips, with a view to permit shrinkage imparted to the fabric through its treatment in the tentering machine.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide means enabling the fabric to be brought or fed to the clips with overfeed, but without allowing it to form crossy pleats at the edges of the fabric before they are gripped by the clips. Generally it was rather dicult if not impossible to hold or support thefabric directly at the edge thereof during its introduction into the clip.

The device according to the invention, which realizes the above object to be attained, includes, in combination: inlet or intake means arranged at the entry'of the tenter andjdevised in such away as to introduce the vfabric into thetenter with a linear speed which is in fixed (predetermined) relation to the speed of the tenter` clips and higher than thelatter; overfeed means arrangedy at the beginning of the forward course of the -clips and' intended to presenttheifabric to the open clips, whilestretching the fabric overy the distancel between the intake means and the overfeed means; driving meansarranged in such a way as to drive lthe overfeed means at a higher speed than that of the intake means so as to ensure tension of the fabric betweenthe intake Vmeans and the overfeed means; connecting meansdevised so 'as to regulate the lateral position ofthe overfeed means in lrelation to theposition of the4 guide rail means; and means for guiding and straightening arranged in front ofthe overfeed means and intended to keep the fabric or like material flat before and during, its. introduction.

According to another;characteristic of the invention, thefconstructionvandarrangement of theu driving means arecarriedout as to drive; the overfeed-means through a devicelimiting the torque.

According tovanother characteristic of the invention, the overfeed means include lower and upper pressing rollers movable in axial direction, andconnecting means intended'ito displace-,said rollers in accordance with the displacementof` the inlet parts of-theA guiderails ofthe tenter.

Accordingto l a further. characteristic of; the invention, the overfeedmeans is placed shortof the selvedge, so that theA selvedgepasses beyondzthe overfeed means in sufficient rquantity. which preferably correspondsapproximately.;to,the depth of 'penetration inside the clips.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the lower pressing roller of the overfeed 'means is cylindrical, 'while the upper roller has the shape of atruncatedicone. The axis ofthe upper roller is inclined in such a'wayrthat the generatrices of thetwo yrollers become 2,766,503 Paiemedoet, 16, 1956 ICC parallel and contiguous to one another at the location of contact between these rollers.

According to still another characteristic of the inven tion, the upper generatrixof the lower pressing roller is positioned at a level higher than that of the tables or base plates of the clips.

According to still another characteristic of the invention, the connecting means controlling the position of the movable pressing rollers of the overfeed means are devised in such a manner as to convert the pivoting regulating movement of the inlet parts of the guide rails of the tenter into a rectilinear transverse movement of said pressing rollers.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the driving means include a friction drive.

According to still a further characteristic ofthe invention, the means for guiding and straightening comprise two guiding plates arranged at opposite faces of the fabric, in front of or before the overfeed means, the lower plate being disposed at a level higher than that of the base plates of the clips.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the upper guiding plate has a projecting part or tongue which enters the opened clip between the fabric and the movable fallerof the clip.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds, which `now follows, reference being had to the attached drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a diagrammatical View of va machine embodying the invention shown in elevation and parts in section taken along line I-I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows, on an enlarged scale, vand schematically the introduction of the fabric into the clips.

Fig. 4 is a detailed View showing the coupling of the overfeed rollers to the guide-rails.

Fig. 5 is a detailed View displaced about an angle of in relation to Fig. 4, showing the mounting of the upper overfeed roller. l i

Fig. 6 is a plan view of Fig. 4, the upper roller being omitted.

Fig. 7 is asectional View of a detail seenin Fig. l.

In the drawings, 1 is the main drive shaft of the overfeed device which in turn is driven in any manner, for instance, as shown, from the main driving shaft of the machine. This shaft 1 drives, through bevel gears 2, two pulleys 3, controlling, through trapezoidal belts 4, a speed regulating device for altering the speed, including two grooved parts forming pulleys 5, whose relationship may be changed to increase or decrease frictional contact therebetween, within certain limits, by operating a handle 6 in the direction of arrow x, so that, for example, parts or halves of pulleys 5 may be shifted closer together and V-belts 4 are moved further away from the pulley axis (see arrow y).

A sprocket wheel 7, rotatably arranged with grooved pulleys 5, is in driving relation with sprocket wheel 8, which, in turn, is fixed to the shaft 9 which supports lower intake roller li). .There cooperates with this roller 10 -a displaceable pressing roller l1 mountedon a shaft 12 which is journalled in arms 13 and which is capable of pivotingfround a shaft 14, thus allowing the roller 11 to be applied against the roller 10 in such a way as to grip therebetween the fabric to be broughtin. It is to be noted that the ratio of transmission of the ensemble consisting of the parts 2 to 8 is Variable, in such a way that the peripheral speed of the roller 10 may be rendered equal to, or, in a determined ratio, higher than the linear speed of the clips of the tenter, to realise either a running operation rwithout advance or overfeed of the fabric in relation to the clips, or the over-feeding operation.

The shaft 9 of the roller 10 bears, on the side opposite to the sprocket wheel 8, another sprocket wheel in driving relation with a sprocket wheel 16, rotatable together with disc means 17a against which are applied disc means 17b by the action of a spring 18 the tension of which can be regulated by the handle 18a. Disc means 17a, 17b are rotatable together with a sprocket wheel 19,

driving, through the chain 20, the sprocket wheel 21.

The ensemble consisting of the parts 16 to 19 constitutes a friction drive effectuating only the transmission of a force which is limited by the friction between the discs 17a and 17b.

The sprocket wheel 21 is fixed on a shaft 22 (Fig. l), journalled in bearings 23, and on which there is slidably disposed a coupling 22a which is rotatable together with this shaft by means of a key 22b (Fig. 1). The coupling 22a is integral with a sprocket wheel 22e, driving, through a chain 22d, a sprocket wheel 22e integral with the lower roller 24 of the overfeed device, journalled in supports 22j integral with the shifting of the coupling 22a. This roller 24 cooperates with an upper roller 25. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the lower roller 24 is cylindrical, while the upper roller 25 has the shape of a truncated cone. For this reason the shaft 26 of the roller 25 is inclined in such a manner that the generatrices of the rollers 24 and 25 are parallel to -oue another at the location of contact (Fig. 3). However it is to be noted that the upper roller 25 may also assume cylindrical shape.

The shaft 26 is integral with a coupling 27 capable of pivoting round the horizontal branch or arm 28a of a supporting stem 28 provided with three arms, 28a, 2812, 28C (Fig. 5). The coupling 27 has also a counter-weight arm 29 intended for the application of the roller 25 against the roller 24.

The vertical branch 28h of the supporting stem passes through a coupling 30 which connects with a carrier 31 adapted to be displaced along a bar 34, by means of upper and lower rollers 32 and 33 (Figs. 1, 4 and 5).

The movable mounting of the rollers 24 and 25 of the overfeed device is necessary so that this ensemble can follow the correcting movements of the rails guiding the clips brought into action by the variations of the lateral position of the fabric, in order to present the edges of the fabric to the clips always under identical conditions.

For this purpose, the supporting stern has an arm 28C extending downwards, on which is jointed, by means of a screw 28d and a washer 28e an eyelet 28f supporting a rod 28g which terminates in an eyelet 28h. Eyelet 28h is capable of pivoting about a pivot 281 fixed on a member 28k to form the shape of a Z therewith and which is fixed by bolts 281 on the guide-rail 50 of the clips.

As is known, the guide-rail 50 carries out a correcting movement consisting of a pivoting movement round one of its ends; the movement of the rollers 24 and 25 should then be carried out in such a manner that their axes remain parallel to those of the intake rollers 10 and 11, in order to avoid any undesirable lateral deviation of the fabric.

This result is obtained, as the upper roller 25, due to the mounting which has just been described, includes the connection with two articulations 28d- 28f and 28i- 28h.

The connection coupling the lower roller 24 to the guide-rail 50 is effectuated by a fiat iron bar 51 fixed to the guide-rail 50 and cooperating with another flat iron bar 52 connected with the stirrup 22f in which is journalled the roller 24. The flat iron bar 52 has a slot 53 (Fig. 6) in which engages a bolt 54 fixed on the at iron 51 by means of nut 55 and thus ensuring an articulated connection between the fiat irons 51 and 52 (Fig. 4) as a result of this connection, between the guide-rail 50 and the support of the roller 24, the shifting of the roller 24 according to a translating movement corresponding to a sliding of the coupling 22a on the shaft 22, may be ac- 4 complished due to a pivoting movement of the guide-rail 50.

Fig. 6 shows the inclined position of the guide-rail 50 in relation to the axis of the roller 24. Further, it will be seen that the fiat irons 51 and 52 are applied against one another over a suiciently great length, which prevents the rocking of the stirrup 22j round the shaft 22.

It is to be noted that the rollers 24 and 25 should be fitted with individual connections with the same guide rail, seeing that the fabric passing between these two rollers prevents the realisation of a transverse driving device of a simple construction common to both rollers.

Again it is to be remarked that the ratio of the transmission inserted between the shafts 9 and 22 and including the parts 15 to 21 is such that the peripheral speed of the rollers 24 is higher than that of the intake roller 10, if there is no sliding between the friction discs 17a and 17b.

Further it is to be noted that the upper generatrix of the roller 24 is disposed at a level higher than that of the tables of the clips to be fed.

Between the intake rollers 10, 11 and the overfeeding, rollers 24 and 25 is arranged a guiding and straightening device which consists, in the embodiment shown, of a lower plate 36 and an upper plate 37, situated at a short distance from one another and between which passes the fabric 35 (Fig. 1).

The lower plate 36 ends close to the overfeeding rollers 24, 25. The upper plate 37 has a sloping edge 38 of which the width is reduced in such a way as to leave nothing but a narrow projecting part or tongue 39 intended to enter the opened clips between the portion of the fabric positioned as shown at 35a (see Fig. 3), placed on the table 40 of a clip, and its faller 41.

The clips have, in the usual manner, a stationary base plate or table 40 cooperating with a rocking faller 41, in order to grip the selvedge of the fabric. The table 40 is furnished with transverse openings, preferably slots or notches, intended to receive the cross folds of the fabric engaged in them by rollers 42 mounted on the faller 41 and the number of which corresponds to that of the slots in the table (see U. S. Pat. No. 2,489,275).

'Ihe opening and closing of the clip are controlled by an upper tail piece or finger 43 integral with the faller 4l and cooperating with a guiding member 44 having a sharp angular recess 46 (Fig. 2) located at a place corresponding to the conclusion of the introduction of the fabric into the clip.

The body 47 of the clip is fitted with a tooth element 48 fixed at the back and intended to be seized by the corresponding cavities provided on the circumference of the usual driving pulleys 49 which are located at the ends of the transporting arrangement of the tenter. This tooth element 48 supports a roller 48a rolling on a track or rail 48b guiding the clip along the tentering machine.

The device works as follows:

The fabric 35 enters the machine and passes through intake rollers 10 and 11. As already explained, the ratio of the transmission with respect to parts 3 to 8 and the movement from the driving shaft 1 to the shaft 9 on which the intake roller 10 is fastened, is such that the linear speed of the fabric at the intake is higher than that of the clips moved by the pulley drive 49.

The fabric, coming from the intake rollers 10 and 11, is drawn by the overfeed rollers 24 and 25. As explained, the ratio of the transmission formed by the members 15 to 21 is such that the overfeed rollers have a tendency to revolve more quickly than the intake rollers. Consequently, the overfeed rollers 24 and 25 exercise a traction on the fabric coming from the intake rollers 10 and 11. The strength of this traction is limited, however, by the friction discs 17a17b to an amount compatible with the resistance of the fabric, by the regulation of the spring 18. As the rollers 24 and 25, on the one hand, and the rollers 10 and 11, on the other hand, are positively moved-by the fabric, they revolve, in fact, at the same peripheral speed,.the, tendency of the shaft 22 to revolve` in advance. having merely the result of stretchingthefabric between the rollers 24 and 25, on the-onehand, andfrollers and 11,.on the other hand, witha force limitediby Vthe friction discs 17a-17b, which then slide uponr one another.

It isimportant topresentv the selvedges of the fabric tothe clips without cross pleats, which is ensured on the one .hand by thetraction exercised on the fabricV between the intake-,rollers and the, overfeed rollers in the way that has just been explained, and on the other hand by the passage ofthe fabric between the plates 36 and 37 of the guiding and straightening device.

The-fabric is guidedby the lower guiding plate 36 up to immediate'proximity with the clips commencing their running movement after having passed round the driving pulley 49. In the clip, the fabric takes its position, as shown in Fig. 3 at 35a, on the table 40 of the clip, asthe generatrix of contact between the rollers 24 and 25, as well. asthe upper surface of the lower guiding plate 36, are at a higher level than that of the clip table.

The tongue 39- prolonging the upper guiding plate 37, prevents the fabric from hooking on to the faller of the clip.l

During the introduction of the fabric into the clip, the latter is kept open by the fact that the upper tail pieceor finger 43^of the faller slides along the longitudinal edge of themernber44. Seeing that the fabric is conducted, by the overfeedrollers 24 and 25, at a linear speed higher. than thatiof the clip and that, on the other hand, the advancing movement of the fabric is stopped, in front of the clip, while being fed, by the gripping of the fabric in the preceding clip which is already closed, the clip receives a length of fabric greater than the length of its table. When this overfeeding has been ensured over the total length of the clip table, the linger 43 cooperates with recess 46, entailing a sharp recoil of the finger 43, in such a way as to allow of a rocking of the clip faller, bringing the rollers 42 in Contact with the fabric, said rollers then distributing the excess fabric between the slots of the table 40 provided for this purpose according to U. S. Patent No. place in the usual manner when the fabric is withdrawn 2,489,275. The complete closing of the clip then takes from under the rollers 42 owing to the spread out apart portions of the guiding rails of the clips which are then brought to the working position corresponding to the width of the fabric.

It is to be understood that the embodiment above described and shown on the drawings is only given by way of a simple, non-limitative example, and there may be altered in any suitable manner, the shape, nature, arrangement and mounting of these parts, without, for this reason, exceeding the scope of the invention.

Thus the friction transmission means arranged between the intake rollers and the overfeed rollers can be replaced by a device for the correction of speed, enabling the edges of the fabric to be kept stretched and the excess speed necessary for overfeeding action to be corrected, in order to avoid excess tension from producing a harmful effect on the fabric.

The overfeed means can also consist of two rollers, or endless bands, superimposed, provided with symmetrical ribs in the shape of gear teeth, the depth of penetration of the teeth of the upper roller or band between the teeth of the lower roller or band being capable of exact regulation. As the result of this device the fabric assumes an undulating or wavy shape when passing through said means and this fact causes it to be kept stretched over the distance between the intake means and the overfeed means.

Further, the guiding and straightening device can also consist of a lower guiding plate cooperating with a rotating cylinder fittedwith blades of rubber or brushesfand animated by a movementofrotation in-the,same direction as the movement of thefabric but at a linear speed higher than that of vthe, fabric. The rotating cylinder will thus produce traction onthe free edges of the fabric while avoiding all risk of-pleating or even of the rolling up of the selvedges.

Having thus described theinvention, what isl claimed as new and desired .to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

l. An'overfeed device for tenteringmachinesV having displaceable guide rail means, tenter clips and'tables for the latter comprising intake -means for moving fabric toward said tenter clips with alinear speedproportional to the speed of the tenterclips and higher than the latter; overfeed means spaced from said intake means and arranged at the beginning of the forward course of said tenter clips when they are opened to present the fabric thereto while stretching said fabric over the distanceY between said intake means and said overfeed means; ydriving means for said overfeed means and constructed to drive the latter at a higher speed than that of said intake means,

lto thereby ensure tension of the fabric between'said intake means and said overfeed means; connecting means for regulating the lateral Vposition of said overfeed means in relation tothe position of said guide rail means; and means for guiding and straightening said, fabric and` arranged adjacent said overfeed means and for regulating the flatnessof the fabric before and during its introducf tion into the tentering machine.

2. A device according to claim l,r wherein said driving means include torque limiting means for said overfeed means whereby the Atension of the'fabric is controlled.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein saidV overfeed means are placed short of the selvedge of the fabric, so that the selvedge extends beyond said overfeed means for a distance which corresponds approximately to the depth of penetration of the selvedge inside said tenter clips.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein said overfeed means includes lower `and upper pressing rollers movable in axial direction, and guide means for displacing said rollers in vaccordance with this displacement of said guide rail means.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the lower pressing roller of the overfeed means is cylindrical, while the upper roller has the shape of a truncated cone, the axis of the upper roller being so inclined that the generatrices of the two rollers become parallel and contiguous to one another at the location of' contact between these rollers.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the upper generatrix of the lower pressing roller is positioned at a level higher than that of the tables of the clips.

7. A device according to claim 4, wherein said guide means control the position of the movable pressing rollers of said overfeed means in accordance with the displacement of said guide rail means, said guide means including means for transforming the pivoting regulatin-g movement of said guide rail means into a rectilinear transverse movement of said pressing rollers.

8. A device according to claim l, wherein said driving means includes a friction drive.

9. A device according to claim l, wherein said means for guiding and straightening the fabric comprise upper and lower yguiding plates arranged on opposite surfaces of the fabric, respectively, said overfeed means being located intermediate said guiding plate, said lower plate being disposed at a level higher than that of said tables of said tenter clips'.

l0. A device according to claim 9, wherein each of said clips has a movable faller and wherein said upper plate has a projecting part adapted to enter within an opened tenter clip between said fabric and said movable faller of said opened tenter clip.

ll. A fabric feeding apparatus for a tentering machine having a frame, guide rails, clips with table plates; comprising fabric intake means adapted to grip the fabric entering the apparatus, overfeed means adapted to grip the fabric moved through the apparatus, means extending on opposite sides of said overfeed means for guiding the fabric and for straightening the surface of the latter, means operatively connected to said overfced means for adjusting the feed of said overfeed means relative to the feed of said intake means to thereby stretch the fabric between said intake means and said overfeed means, and means moving said tenter clips at a slower velocity than the velocity of the fabric moved through the apparatus to thereby permit each of said clips to receive a length of presti-etched fabric greater than the length of the corresponding table plates of said tenter clips while permitting shrinkage of the fabric on said frame.

l2. A fabric feeding apparatus according to claim ll, wherein said adjusting means include limiting means for the torque exerted upon said overfeed means to thereby prevent excessive stretching of the fabric.

13. A fabric feeding apparatus according to claim ll, comprising guiding means for moving said overfeed means in accordance with movement of said guide rails whereby the axis of said overfeed means remains parallel to the axis of said intake means, to thereby prevent lateral deviation of the fabric passing through said machine.

14. A fabric feeding apparatus according to claim 13, said guiding means including means connected to said guide rails for transforming pivotal movement of the latter into rectilinear transverse movement of said overfeed means.

l5. A fabric feeding apparatus according to claim 11, said overfeed means including roller means located adjacent the selvedge of the fabric and extending partly over the surfaces of the fabric, whereby the selvedge of the latter is adapted to extend within said clips.

16. A fabric feeding apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said roller means include cylindrical means and conical means having an end thereof truncated, said cylindrical means and said conical means abutting each other, the axis of said conical means being inclined so that the generatrices of said cylindrical means and of said conical means are parallel and contiguous to one another at the point of contact of said cylindrical means and of said conical means.

l7. A fabric feeding apparatus according to claim l5, wherein the generatrix of said cylindrical means extends on a plane higher than the plane of said table plates.

18. A fabric feeding apparatus according to claim ll, wherein said driving means includes friction responsive speed regulating means.

19. A fabric feeding apparatus according to claim 1l, said means for guiding the fabric and straightening the surfaces of the latter comprising a pair of opposed plates, said overfeed means being located substantially intermediate the ends of said plates, said plates being located on planes extending above the plane of said table plates.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,577,880 Dodge Dec. 11, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 429,332 Great Britain May 28, 1935 

